In the center of my living room this morning sits our Christmas tree. It draws my attention as I see lights blinking, colorful decorations affixed to the branches, and most importantly ornaments made over the years by our children. It is fun to focus on our children’s handiwork and to realize how powerful this visual reminder is for me as a father.
I have come to believe in the power of visual reminders and the impact they have on us as superintendents and as leaders. Visual reminders stimulate our emotions and often serve as an anchor in our lives bringing us back to what we value or deem important.
So, the question is how you are using visual reminders in your position to maintain focus? Let me share an example which I have found useful.
Some years back, while working in a previous district, I visited one of the elementary schools I oversaw and observed the students creating large self-portraits of themselves. The work was amazing and I purchased two of the pictures, one from a student named Priscilla and another from a student named Jesus.
I framed these two large pictures and they sit on the wall opposite my desk. Regardless of whether I enter or leave the room, or look up from my desk, I always see Priscilla and Jesus. Each time I see these images it reminds me why I do what I do – I serve students. We often talk about being “student centered” in our profession, but the tyranny of the urgent can lead us astray. In the absence of a method to refocus our attention we can get lost in the minutiae of our positions and forget the mission of our work.
So, today, if you don’t already have a visual reminder in your office which draws your attention I recommend that you find one. We all need a way to center our focus, a tool to remind us of our mission, a guide to lead us in our everyday work. If we are to remember and keep at the forefront of our minds what counts we must be intentional. Visual reminders hold the power to make this possible and I hope you will give the concept a try for yourself and see how it works.
Please comment on the concept of visual reminders below and also share any methods you have used to maintain focus in your position. As always sharing ideas, thoughts, and concepts with each other adds to everyone’s wisdom as a leader.
I appreciated reading your comments and agree with the importance of visualization. Our Strategic Plan is framed and located in all central areas as a visual reminder of our mission and vision. Visualization, seeing a goal accomplished before it occurs is essential.
Cheryl – Thanks for sharing the importance of making available our strategic plan, mission and vision. Clear without that action we lose sight of what is important. Thanks for your leadership!
Thanks for the blog Dr. Carlson. I agree that visual reminders are the motivation we need to stay focused. Thanks for the continuous reminders, affirmations and suggestions that you present with this blog!
Absolutely, Robbie. I think visual reminders are truly powerful and I appreciate your taking notice of this concept and for your ongoing interest in the blog. Thanks for your leadership!
Thank you for this article. It comes at a time when I have been struggling. Your words remind me to remember what is valuable. I have a photo of all my students on the opening day of a zoo exhibit that my students had spent 3 years learning and working with zoo staff to be a part of. They were THE STUDENTS that opened that exhibit. Around that picture are 250 thumb prints from all the students that attended. That is my reminder of why we do what we do.
Thank you for this reminder. It came at just the right time!!!
I am so glad that this post was of help to you. I think it is great for us all to have visual reminders and to use them as a way to keep us centered. Thanks for your leadership!
As always, Howard–you are spot on. I try to be in at least one school daily–keeps me grounded and reminds me why we do what we do. Student enthusiasm is infectious!
Thanks, Debbi! I appreciate your thought regarding being in one school a day. We all need to follow your example. Thanks for your leadership!
Thank you for the reminder! I have four signs in my office.
1. Assumption is the lowest form of knowledge.
2. The depth of a teams shared understanding is the measure of the team’s effectiveness.
3. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King
4. Vocabulary is the placeholder for conceptual understanding.
These help ground me in teams and my role as the leader to create productive work and be brave in the face of hard work
Thanks for sharing! As an expert in teams you provide great insights for us to follow. I also like #3, which is hard to do in practice, but vital if we are to ultimately do what is right. I appreciate your leadership and learning from you!